Means for supporting gymnastic horizontal bars.



No. 849,035. PATRNTRD APR. 2', 1OOv.

, W. WRSTRNHOPP.

MEANS POR SUPPORTING GYMNASTIO HORIZONTAL BARS.

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n. l K .fi-4" '/f mig I l lf INNO!! l l Y u '9 p UNITED sfrArils PATENT OFFICE.

WILHELM WESTENHOFF, OF VVILDESHAUSEN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GUSTAVE J. WESTENHOFF, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ePatented. April 2, 1907.

Application filed October 17, 1906. Serial No. 339.380.

T0 a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILHELM WEsrnN- HOFF, a subject of the King of Prussia, residing in the city of Wildeshausen, Grand Duchy of Oldenburg, Empire of Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Supporting Gymnastic Horizontal Bars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to a means for supporting horizontal bars used for gymnastic exercises within the door-frames in buildings, the invention having for its object to provide a means of this character which may be readily and quickly mounted within a door-frame and clamped therein without defacing the door-frame.

Figure I is a perspective view of part of a door-frame with a horizontal bar shown upheld within the frame by my supporting means. Fig. II is an enlarged front elevation of the supporting means at one end of the horizontal bar with said bar shown in cross-section. Fig. III is a view, partly in side elevation and partly in vertical section, of the members shown in Fig. II. Fig. IV is a cross-section taken on line IV IV, Fig. II.

A designates the frame of a door, in which a horizontal bar is adapted to be upheld by my supporting means, and B is the horizontal bar.

l designates a pair of clampingblocks that are adapted to be applied to the inside and opposing vertical faces of a door-frame, the backs of said blocks being preferably flat, as seen most clearly in Figs. I and III, in order that they will bear directly against the door-frame throughout their lengths when applied thereto. At the front side of each clamping block is a downwardly -inclined face 2, which is more widely separated from the back of the block at its lower end than at its upper end. At the front of each block is a pair of guides 3, preferably formed integral with the block and containing grooves 4. At the bottom of each block is an apertured ledge or plate 5. The guides?) are separated sufficiently from each other upon each clamping-block to provide for the Ventrance and movement of the horizontal bar B between said guides in order that the ends of said bar may bear against the inclined faces 2 of the blocks.

6 designates a draw-screw, one of which is associated with each clamping-block and has engagement with the horizontal bar adjacent to the block to which the draw-screw is applied. Each draw-screw is provided at its upper end with a loop 7, that surrounds the horizontal bar adjacent to its end applied to the corresponding clamping-block, the said' loop being preferably attached to the horizontal bar by a staple or eye 8, carried by the horizontal bar. Each draw screw passes through the apertured ledge or bottom plate of the clamping-block and has applied there- -to beneath said ledge or plate a draw-nut 9.

When my horizontal-bar-supp orting means is to be mounted within a door-frame, the draw-screws are first fitted to the bar and their loops are then introduced into the guides i of the clamping-blocks and the bar moves sufficiently within the clampingblocks and against their inclined faces 2 to cause the blocks to be forced outwardly against the inside faces of the door-frame in which the horizontal bar is to be mounted. The draw-nuts 9 are then rotated on the drawscrews and as a consequence said drawscrews act through the engagement of their loops with the horizontal bar to draw the ends of the bar downwardly while riding against the inclined faces of the clampingblocks and the rear faces of the blocks are forced rmly against the door-frame with sufficient clamping action thereagainst to render the horizontal bar perfectly rigid.

I claiml. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination with a horizontal bar, of a pair ofclamping-blocls having inclined faces against which the ends of said bar are adapted to bear, and means for drawing said bar along said linclined faces, substantially as set forth.

2. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination with a horizontal bar, of a pair of clamping-blocks having inclined faces against which the ends of said bar are adapted to bear, and draw-screws having engagement with said horizontal bar for moving its ends in engagement with said inclined faces, substantially as set forth.

3. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination with a horizontal bar, of a pair of clamping-blocks having inclined faces against which the endsy of said bar are adapted to bear, draw-screws engaging said hori- IOO , extending throug zontal bar and extending throu h portions of said blocksI and draw-nuts tted to said draw-screws, substantially as set forth.

4. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination With a horizontal bar7 of a pair of clamping-blocks having inclined faces adapted to receive the ends of said bar, drawscreWs having loops encircling said bar and extending through portions of said blocks, and draw-nuts fitted to said draw-screws, substantially as set forth.

5. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination with a horizontal bar, of a pair of clamping-blocks having inclined faces adapted to receive the ends of said bar, drawscreWs having loo s encircling said bar and portions of said blocks, and draw-nuts tted to said draW-screWsg said horizontal bar being provided With eyes in Which the loops of said draw-screws are fitted, substantially as set forth.

6. In a horizontal-bar-supporting means, the combination with a horizontal bar, of a pair of clamping-blocks having inclined faces adapted to receive the ends of said bar and having guides located adjacent to said inclined faces, draw-screws having loops encircling said bar and fitting in said guides, and draw-nuts iitted to said draw-screws, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of tWo Witnesses.

WILHELM WESTENHOFF.

Witnesses:

FERD. REICH, FREDK. HOYERMANN. 

